1. Field of the Invention.
The present invention relates to fireplace accessories in general and to a fireplace tool, in particular, for grasping and moving fireplace logs.
2. Description of the prior art.
Fireplace tools for lifting and munipulating fireplace logs are well known in the art and have experienced ever increasing utilization as wood burning fireplaces have filled the gap for residential heating requirements. Where such fireplace tools were once considered decorative and ornamental implements, they are now accepted as useful and even necessary aids for obtaining maximum use and efficiency from wood burning fireplace installations.
It has been found that the previous emphasis on aesthetic rather than utilitarian features of the fireplace tools has resulted in implements which are partially or wholly inoperative. For example, difficulty has been experienced in producing a fireplace tool with the ability to accept a wide range of log sizes. In addition, some tools have been damaged by repeated contact with the high temperatures associated with a well-stoked wood fire. The size of the tool is also a critical factor in order to position the operator a safe distance from the fire itself. Finally, many fireplace users, particularly those advanced in years or of unsound health to whom the warmth supplied by a wood burning fireplace may be the only source of residential heating, have expressed dissatisfaction with prior art fireplace tools which are heavy and cumbersome. This drawback has led to makeshift ways of munipulating logs in the fireplace, often compromising the safety and health of the user as well as endangering property from wayward sparks and the like.